Groundcover as a Useful Tool for Efficient Resource Management and Sustainable Production

Abstract

A field trial has been conducted on 5-year-old Sweet Lady and Royal Glory peach cultivars on a sandy loam soil at Siófok, West Hungary, since 2009. Four in-row ground management systems (pine bark mulch, cow manure, black fabric cover, and no cover with herbicide applications) were evaluated in a plot design with three replicates to study their effects on the soil temperature and nutrient contents of leaves. The fluctuation of soil temperature was more moderate with mulch and manure as groundcover. Leaf nitrogen (N), potassium (K), and calcium (Ca) concentrations increased but leaf magnesium (Mg) and zinc (Zn) decreased because of the treatments. Leaf manganese (Mn) and copper (Cu) content were slightly affected by the treatments and the changingwas not significant at some treatments. Overall, our results suggest that leaf nutrient concentrations respond differentially to different mulches.

Ecosystem services of organic versus inorganic ground cover in peach orchards: A meta‐analysis

“…The inorganic form of GC includes white transparent film, black plastic film, biodegradable plastic film, and water‐permeable plastic film (Li et al, 2012). Organic forms of GC reduce soil temperature fluctuations (Nagy et al, 2013) while increasing soil total nitrogen, microbial biomass, and soil available nitrogen (Nikiema et al, 2012). The use of organic GC, in combination with other orchard management practices, reduces pest pressure in peach orchards thereby reducing reliance on conventional pesticides while increasing fruit size, yield, and quality (Bussi et al, 2016; Johnson et al, 2002).…”

Effect of Orchard Floor Management Practices on Fruit Production

“…Leaf and fruit nitrogen levels were normal in both the organic and integrated production treatments (Wooldridge, 2013). Nagy et al(2013) laid out a field trial on five-year-old Sweet Lady and Royal Glory peach cultivars on a sandy loam soil. Four in-row ground management systems were evaluated and they observed that leaf nitrogen, potassium and calcium concentrations increased with mulch but leaf magnesium and zinc decreased with the orchard floor management treatments.…”